Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Volume 1).pdf/339

Rh Bhimasena took Karna for a charioteer's son, and said by way of ridicule -'O son of a charioteer, thou dost not deserve death in "fight at the hands of Partha ! As befits thy race take thou anon the whip 1 And, O warst of mortals, surely thou art not worthy to sway the kingdom of Anga, even as a dog doth not deserve the butter placed before the sacrificial fire.' Karna, thus addressed, with slightly quivering lips fetched a deep sigh, looked at the good of the day in che skies. And even as a mad elephant riseth from an assemblage of lotuses, the mighty Duryyodhana rose in wrath from among his brothers, and addressed that performer of dreadful deeds, Bbimasena, present there,

-'O Vrikodara, it behoveth thee not to speak such words. Might is the cardinal virtue of a Kshatriya, and even a Kshatriya of inferior birth deserveth to be fought with. The lineage of heroes, like the sources of lordly river, is ever unknown. The fire that covereth the whole world riseth from the waters. The thunder that slayeth the Danavas was made of a bone of (a mortal named) Dadhichi. The illus. tricus deity Guha, who combines in his composition the portions of all the other deities is of a lineage unknown. Some call him the offspring of Agni: some, of Krittika, some, of Rudra, and some of Ganga. It bath been heard by us that persons born in the Kshatriya order have before become Brahmanas. Viswamittra and others (born Kshatriyas) have obtained the eternal Brahma. The foremost of all wielders of weapons--the preceptor Drona-hath been born in a waterpot and Kripa of the race of Gotama hath sprung from a clump of heath. Your own births, ye Pandava princes, are known to me. Can a she-deer bring forth a tiger (like Karna), of the splendour of the Sun, and endued with every auspicious mark, and born also with a natural mail and ear-rings? This prince among men deservech the sovereignty of the world, not a Anga only, in consequence of the might of his arm and my deposition to obey him in everything. If there by anybody here to whom all that I have done unto Karna hath become intolerable, let him ascend his chariot and bend his bow with the help of his feet.

Vaisampayana continued, -"Then there arose a confused murmer amongst the spectators approving of Duryyodhana's speech. The sun, however, went down, but prince Duryyodhana taking Karna's hand led him out of the arena lighted with countless lamps. And, O king. the Pandavas also, accompanied by Drona and Kripa and Bhishma, returned to their abodes. And the people, too, came away, some naming Arjuna, some Karna, and some Durvyodhana (as the victor of the day). And Kunti, recognising, her son in Karna by the various auspicious marks on his person and beholding him installed in the